The relational nervous system in Gestalt Body Process Psychotherapy - AAGT/EAGT Taormina Conference

Workshop with James Kepner, PhD

Embodied support is an essential ingredient for relational contact in Gestalt therapy. Modern neurobiology can give us a more refined and specific understanding of how to access and enhance embodied support for contact. This knowledge expands client resources for contact, enhancing their body awareness, modulating fight/flight reactions that disrupt contact, and offers access to the social engagement system that biologically evolved into our nervous system. In this workshop we will examine the neurobiological ground for relational contact and co-regulation; explore how our own embodiment affects this in contacting; and experiment with use of one’s own embodiment through breath, tone and touch to enhance client support for contact.

Learning Objectives:
 After participating in this workshop participants will be able to describe the neurobiological basis for safety and relational connection intrinsic to our autonomic nervous system.
 Participants will be able to utilize 2 embodied practices that enhance the Social Engagement System (autonomic nervous system) to support relational contact.

Bio: Jim Kepner Ph.D., (James I Kepner), is a psychologist in private practice and the author of Body Process: working with the body in psychotherapy (1987/99), considered a classic in both Gestalt therapy and body-oriented psychotherapy, and of Healing Tasks: psychotherapy with adult survivors of childhood abuse (1995). He is the founder of 81 Gestalt Body Process Psychotherapy (GBPP) and the co-developer of Nervous System Energy Work (NSEW). He serves professional staff of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland where he co-founded and chairs the training program “Working with Physical Process”. He conducts training workshops internationally in GBPP, the Healing Tasks model, and in NSEW.